May 31

: Wow, where to start on Susan Mac Nicol’s newest release, Waiting for Rain. I can say this, with the utmost certainty, she has another winner on her hands. This may be my favorite of hers so far. She definitely knows how to pull on your heartstrings, and keep you on pins and needles, thru out this magnificent story. I won’t rehash the blurb as it pretty much speaks for itself. However, it in no way prepares you for the feelings you experience, and the attachment you form, to Toby almost from the beginning.

It’s going to be hard to tell much about this without leaving spoilers along the way. I will try my best, not to do that, and hope I succeed. Toby, as you can guess from the above, is a damaged soul. He was in foster care throughout most of his early and teenage years. He never knew his father, and his mother died when he was very young. Being tossed around like yesterday’s garbage, from one foster home to another, you can imagine how hard that must have been for him and how he finds it very hard to open up and give his trust to anyone. He experiences some pretty horrible things while in this environment, things that will come back to haunt him in his later years. Some things, you just can’t keep buried, someone is always digging. Being such a strong and determined young man, he focuses on what will get him the best and the farthest from his horrible situation. In his early twenties, with schooling and training, he has taken on a job at the local hotel. He has worked his way up and earned his position of managing the hotel over a short few years. He even has a room in the hotel, where he sleeps mostly, because he puts so much time and effort into being the best he can be at his job.

Rain Engel, carpenter, business owner, pole dancer, on the rebound, and very sexy man. He is not interested in anything with anybody. He is still swimming in self-pity from a break up that he went thru several months back. He and Lucas, his helper, get a job building a bar for the hotel. This is where Rain and Toby come together, literally, as they practically run over each other in the hall. Needless to say, they do not hit it off very well. It’s only a matter of time though before they start catching each other’s eye. Several other eyes pick up on this also, although they think they are being very discreet.

Susan Mac Nicol has created a story that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Toby and Rain, both, are wonderful human beings and once they figure out they are incredible together, the story really sets sail. There are so many funny and laugh out loud moments, you don’t realize you are smiling from ear to ear, and then it dawns on you, Hmm, I wonder if anyone is watching me. It doesn’t matter if they are because this is a story of hope, love and commitment, and you are rooting for these fellows the whole way. They get themselves into some pretty precarious situations that sometimes, you were holding your breath waiting for them to get out of it, and sometimes you were laughing so hard hoping they didn’t get caught. Each one of them have secrets they do not want to tell, things from their past, they feel, better left alone. This leaves the reader with some nervous tension, cause we all know how these things can and usually will catch up with you. When they are not trying to keep secrets, they share a beautiful relationship. In this story, I really feel the author outdone herself with their special moments. Their love scenes were incredible, passionate and very hot. They did not overtake the story, as some have a tendency to do, they really moved the story forward. These guys were maturing right in front of you.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a little mystery, suspense, passion, laughter, and great sex scenes. You will find all of these things, and so much more, in this story of Toby and Rain. If you like to root for the underdog, you get some of that also. I think, also, it is definitely worth mentioning, that the secondary characters, in this story, are outstanding. They all play a pretty big role in bringing this story together. Each one brings their own uniqueness, and special personality, and together, they make the story that much more enjoyable. Susan Mac Nicol is a great storyteller and she certainly has told a great story here. There is no way you could be disappointed in this book if you like the things I mentioned above. Congratulations to the author, for another wonderful book.